Philadelphia Eagles second round draft pick wide receiver Jordan Matthews, center, jumps in the air as he and other players stretch out before a session of the NFL teams training camp at Lincoln Financial Field last Monday. (AP Photo)

PHILADELPHIA — Everyone knows someone like Jordan Matthews.

The only surprise is when he doesn’t get it right the first time.

In just a few weeks the Eagles’ second-round pick out of Vanderbilt has aced the assignments piled on him by Eagles coaches who have found it hard to contain their amazement.

Instead of downshifting, Matthews has found another gear at a hot and draining training camp in the absence of veteran receivers Riley Cooper, Jeff Maehl and at times, Jeremy Maclin. They’re slowed by injuries or in the case of Maclin, on the comeback from knee surgery, general soreness.

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“Every little kind of hurdle we’ve given him as he prepares himself for the season he’s done a great job of jumping over,” offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said Tuesday. “And he just continues to get better and better every day. Just like all our players, we have high expectations for him.”

Mike Quick, one of the great receivers in Eagles history, has seen a lot of talented pass catchers. He appreciated the very different skills sets of Eagles threats Terrell Owens and DeSean Jackson.

Quick played during the Jerry Rice era. He’s convinced that Matthews, a distant cousin of Rice, has patterned his work ethic after the Hall of Famer. Matthews finishes every catch with a run to the end zone. Shurmur insists Matthews would run through a wall to finish it.

When Quick looks at Matthews, he sees a 6-3, 209-pound warrior with enormous 10 1-2 inch hands ... and a heart many times that.

“I like his size, his hands and the way he finishes,” Quick said. “He works like he’s the last one on the (roster). And I like that.”

It’s impossible to watch an Eagles practice without noticing Matthews. Most recently he asked to go against slot cornerback Brandon Boykin, perhaps the most cerebral defensive back on the team.

Matthews made some catches but more often than not, the 5-9 Boykin got the best of him. Matthews applauded his teammate’s methodology.

“It’s one thing for a guy to be physical,” said Matthews, who set Southeastern Conference records with 262 receptions for 3,759 receiving yards. “It’s one thing for a guy to be fast or athletic. He has a combination of a bunch of things. He’s also extremely intelligent. He’s extremely smart. He’ll come to me after plays and he’ll be like, ‘I knew you were about to do that. And it wasn’t because of anything you did, it was about the way the other guys lined up.’ Sometimes you don’t even have a chance with a guy like that. When you work against a guy like that in practice it helps you so much.”

To see Matthews’ hands is to see them twice. His mitts measured bigger than the rest of the receivers at the NFL scouting combine.

To see Matthews use those hands to snag balls is freakish.

Matthews looks more comfortable every day he hits the field. Barring a miraculous recovery by Cooper, who has become one with a protective boot on his right foot, Matthews is going to start when the preseason begins Friday against the Chicago Bears. It would surprise no one if his debut continues to blot out the unceremonious release of DJack.

“I’m telling you, it’s really hard to be nervous when you’ve got these guys around you,” Matthews said of the preseason opener. “And then at the same time it’s still the same 100 yards I’ve always played. That’s the way I’m going to go out there and approach it. Just play the game like it’s just football. Just go out there and have fun.”

One of the few things Matthews has had a tough time mastering might surprise you. It’s patience. It’s letting the game come to him. Trying to do too much.

“Learning the playbook and everything going in, that’s completely on you,” Matthews explained. “I feel I’ve been accountable in that area and make sure I come out here and know what I’m doing. The next level with that is just to slow the game down. Slow everything down and just be patient in your routes and understand the timing. Understand how much time Nick (Foles), Mark (Sanchez) and Matt (Barkley) have back there and then just getting yourself open.”